Collapsible Steamer Apparatus

ABSTRACT

The present invention teaches a collapsible steamer apparatus. According to one aspect of the present invention, the steamer apparatus of the present invention may include a heating base supporting a heating element for heating steam. According to a further aspect of the present invention, the steamer apparatus preferably further includes: lower base attached to an angular middle base at a lower base hinge which allows the angular middle base to move relative to the lower base. According to a further aspect of the present invention, the steamer apparatus of the present invention preferably further includes an upper section which is attached to the top of the angular middle base with a middle base hinge which allows the upper section to partially lower within the body of the lower base; and a head assembly which directs steam created by the heating element out of the steamer apparatus.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional ApplicationNo. 62/716,391 filed Aug. 9, 2018.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention is related in general to steamer apparatus and, inparticular, to a collapsible steamer apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Steam is often used to remove wrinkles and freshen linens. This isparticularly important during travel and when clothing items arecompressed or stored in confined spaces.

The most common tools for steaming clothing are hand-held steamers whichcan be maneuvered as needed to direct steam. However, common designs forhand-held steamers are often difficult to fit into language and otherconvenient spaces. Further, common handheld steamer designs are notsturdy enough for travel or rough treatment. Finally, most commondesigns for steamers require large amounts of water and lengthy heatingtimes to produce steam.

To overcome the limitations of the prior art, the present inventionprovides a collapsible steamer apparatus which is both lightweight andconvenient for storage and travel.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention provides a collapsible steamer apparatus.According to one aspect of the present invention, the steamer apparatusof the present invention may include a heating base supporting a heatingelement for producing steam.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the steamerapparatus of the present invention may preferably further include: alower base attached to an angular middle base at a lower base hingewhich allows the angular middle base to move relative to the lower basewall and the lower base.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the steamerapparatus of the present invention may preferably further include anupper section which is attached to the top of the angular middle basewith a middle base hinge which allows the upper section to partiallylower within the body of the lower base. According to a further aspectof the present invention, the steamer apparatus of the present inventionmay preferably further include a head assembly which directs steamcreated by the heating element out of the steam apparatus.

Other goals and advantages of the present invention will be furtherappreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with thefollowing description and accompanying drawings. While the followingdescription may contain specific details describing particularembodiments of the invention, this should not be construed aslimitations to the scope of the invention but rather as anexemplification of preferable embodiments. For each aspect of theinvention, many variations are possible as suggested herein that areknown to those of ordinary skill in the art. A variety of changes andmodifications can be made within the scope of the invention withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Elements in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale inorder to enhance their clarity and to improve the understanding of thevarious elements and embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, elementsthat are known to be common and well understood to those in the industryare not depicted in order to provide a clear view of the variousembodiments of the invention. Thus, it should be understood that thedrawings are generalized in form in the interest of clarity andconciseness.

FIG. 1 provides a side cut-away view of an exemplary steamer in anextended position in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 provides a side cut-away view of the exemplary steamer shown inFIG. 1 in a compressed position.

FIG. 3 provides a side view of an exemplary steamer in an extendedposition in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 provides a front view of the exemplary steamer shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 provides a side view of the exemplary steamer shown in FIG. 3 ina compressed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various inventive features are described below that can each be usedindependently of one another or in combination with other features.However, any single inventive feature may not address any of theproblems discussed above or only address one of the problems discussedabove. Further, one or more of the problems discussed above may not befully addressed by any of the features described below. In the followingdiscussion that addresses a number of embodiments and applications ofthe present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawingsthat form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustrationspecific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is tobe understood that other embodiments may be utilized and changes may bemade without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Additionally, any examples or illustrations given herein are not to beregarded in any way as restrictions on, limits to, or expressdefinitions of, any term or terms with which they are utilized. Instead,these examples or illustrations are to be regarded as illustrative only.Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any term orterms with which these examples or illustrations are utilized willencompass other embodiments which may or may not be given therewith orelsewhere in the specification and all such embodiments are intended tobe included within the scope of that term or terms.

Reference is now made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of theinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be usedthroughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. As usedthroughout this application, the word “may” is used in a permissivesense (i.e., meaning “having the potential to’), rather than themandatory sense (i.e. meaning “must”).

With reference now to FIG. 1, a side cut-away view of an exemplarysteamer 100 in an extended position, in accordance with a firstpreferred embodiment, is shown. As shown, the exemplary steamer 100includes a heating base 112 connected to a lower base 136 which ispreferably further connected to an angular middle base 110. As shown,the lower base 136 preferably includes a lower top surface 121 and alower base wall 128 which extends around and encloses the lower base136. As further shown, the angular middle base 110 preferably includes amiddle top surface 117 and an angular middle wall 132 which extendsaround and encloses the angular middle base 110.

Preferably, the lower top surface 121 of the lower base 136 is connectedto the angular middle base 110 via a lower based hinge 130 or the like.According to a preferred embodiment, the lower base hinge 130 may be anyhinge element which allows the angular middle base 110 to partiallylower within the body of the lower base 136. According to a furtherpreferred embodiment, the lower base hinge 130 may preferably be formedof concatenated bellows or the like to allow the angular middle wall 132and lower base wall 128 to move relative to one another. According to afurther preferred embodiment, the lower base hinge 130 may preferably besingle, compressed seam extending around shared circumference of theangular middle base 110 and lower base 136.

As further shown, an upper section 134 having an upper top surface 107and an upper section wall 108 is preferably attached to the middle topsurface 117 of the angular middle base 110 via a middle base hinge 116.The middle base hinge 116 may be any hinge element which allows theupper section 134 to partially lower within the body of the angularmiddle base 110. According to a further preferred embodiment, the middlebase hinge 116 may preferably be formed of concatenated bellows or thelike to allow the upper section wall 108 and angular middle wall 132 tomove relative to one another. According to a preferred embodiment, themiddle base hinge 116 may preferably be a single, compressed seamextending around the shared circumference of the angular middle base 110and the upper section 134. The upper top surface 107 of the uppersection 134 may preferably connect to a ringed neck extension 111 forreceiving a head assembly 118 of the present invention as discussedfurther below.

As further shown, the steamer 100 of the present invention maypreferably further include a head assembly 118 which encloses steamchannels 126 to direct steam through a head outlet 104 where it can bedirected by a user. As shown, the head assembly 118 preferably includesa handle 102 and a top ring surface 106. According to preferredembodiments, the head assembly 118 may preferably be detachably mountedon the neck extension 111 of the upper section 134 (via a bayonetmechanism or the like) to allow for refilling of water into waterreservoir/storage sections which may include the lower base 136, theupper section 134 and the angular middle base 110. The head assembly 118preferably includes a ringed flange 109 which contacts the neckextension 111 when the head assembly 118 is inserted into upper section134.

As further shown, the heating base 112 of the steamer 100 of the presentinvention preferably further includes a power cord inlet 114. As furthershown, the lower base 136 preferably encloses a heating element 120which generates electrical heat from power supplied through the powercord inlet 114. In operation, stored water preferably comes into thermalcontact with the heating element 120 to create steam. The created steamis then directed by air pressure up through the upper section 134, andout through the head outlet 104 via the steam channels 126 where thesteam can be applied as directed by a user.

FIG. 2 provides a side view of the exemplary steamer shown in FIG. 1 ina compressed position. In the compressed position shown, the angularmiddle wall 132 is moved downward from the hinge point of the lower basehinge 130. Accordingly, the angular middle wall 132 is partiallycompressed within the body of the lower base 136. Still further, theupper section 134 as shown is moved downward from the hinge 116 to alsopartially lower within the body of the lower base 136. According to afurther preferred embodiment, the upper section 134 may preferably belowered down so that its upper top surface 107 is substantially belowthe height of the lower base hinge 130 and the lower top surface 121 ofthe lower base 136. As further shown, the middle top surface 117 of theangular middle base 110 is substantially below the height of the lowerbase hinge 130 and the lower top surface 121 of the lower base 136 aswell.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the extended/uncompressed position, the exteriorangle A between the upper wall section 108 and the angular middle wall132 is more than 90° but less than 180°. Additionally, the exteriorangle B between angular middle wall 132 and the lower base wall 128 isgreater than 180° but less than 270°. As shown in FIG. 2, in thecompressed position, the exterior angle A between the upper wall section108 and the angular middle wall 132 is less than 90°. Additionally, inthe compressed position, the exterior angle B between angular middlewall 132 and the lower base wall 128 is greater than 270°.

With reference now to FIGS. 3 and 4, side and front exterior views 300,400 of an exemplary steamer in an extended position in accordance with afirst preferred embodiment of the present invention are provided. Asshown, the exemplary steamer 100 includes a heating base 112 connectedto a lower base 136 which is preferably further connected to an angularmiddle base 110. As further shown, the lower base 136 is connected tothe angular middle base 110 via a lower base hinge 130 or the like. Asdiscussed above, the lower base hinge 130 may be any hinge element whichallows the angular middle base 110 to partially lower within the body ofthe lower base 136.

As further shown, an upper section 134 is preferably attached to the topof the angular middle base 110 via a middle base hinge 116. As furthershown, the steamer of the present invention may preferably include ahead assembly 118, a top ring surface 106, a handle 102 and a steamoutlet 104.

FIG. 5 further provides a side view 500 of the exemplary steamer shownin FIGS. 3 and 4 in a compressed position. As shown, in the compressedposition, the angular middle wall 132 (not visible) has been moveddownward from the hinge point of the lower based hinge 130 to besubstantially within the body of the lower base 136. Still further, theupper section 134 as shown is moved downward from the hinge point ofhinge 116 (not visible) to also partially lower within the body of thelower base 136. According to a preferred embodiment, the steamer 500 mayinclude a locking mechanism to keep the steamer in a compressedposition. Further, the steamer may further include a detector/switchwhich is operable to keep the power to the heating element off when thesteamer is in a compressed position.

While this invention has been described and illustrated with referenceto particular embodiments, it will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art that the scope of the invention is not limited to thedisclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to covernumerous other modifications and equivalent arrangements which areincluded within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

The above descriptions of illustrated embodiments of the presentinvention are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the presentinvention to the precise forms disclosed. It should be understood thatvarious equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of thedescribed embodiments as those skilled in the relevant art willrecognize. Further, the elements of the various embodiments describedabove can be combined to provide further embodiments without limitation.These and other changes can be made to the disclosed system andapparatus in light of the above detailed description.

In the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limitthe specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims,but instead the scope of the present invention is intended to bedetermined entirely by the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A steamer apparatus, wherein the steamerapparatus comprises: a heating base, wherein the heating base comprisesa power cord inlet; a heating element; a lower base, wherein the lowerbase comprises a lower top surface and a lower base wall; wherein thelower base is fixedly attached to the heating base; an angular middlebase, wherein the angular middle base is comprised of a middle topsurface and an angular middle wall which extends around and encloses theangular middle base; further wherein the angular middle base is attachedto the lower top surface of the lower base at a lower base hinge;wherein the lower base hinge is comprised of concatenated bellows whichallow the angular middle wall to move relative to the lower base wallfrom the lower based hinge; an upper section, wherein the upper sectionis comprised of an upper top surface and an upper wall section; whereinthe upper section is attached to the middle top surface of the angularmiddle base at a middle base hinge; wherein the middle base hinge is acompressed seam extending around a shared circumference of the angularmiddle base and the upper section; wherein the lower base hinge and themiddle base hinge are configured to allow the angular middle wall andthe upper wall section to move relative to each other and the lowerbased wall; wherein the middle base hinge allows the upper section topartially lower within the body of the lower base; wherein the lowerbased hinge and the middle base hinge are configured to move between afirst open position and a second compressed position; wherein in thefirst open position, the exterior angle between the upper wall sectionand the angular middle wall is more than 90° but less than 180°; whereinin the first open position the exterior angle between angular middlewall and the lower base wall is greater than 180° but less than 270°;wherein in the second compressed position, the exterior angle betweenthe upper wall section and the angular middle wall is less than 90°;further wherein in the second compressed position the exterior anglebetween angular middle wall and the lower base wall is greater than270°; wherein in the second compressed position, the upper top surfaceof the upper section is below the height of the lower base hinge;wherein in the second compressed position, the middle top surface of theangular middle base is below the height of the lower base hinge; a neckextension, wherein the neck extension comprises a hollow ring extendingfrom the upper top surface; and a head assembly, wherein the headassembly is comprised of one or more a steam channels; wherein steamcreated by the heating element is directed by air pressure through theupper section; further wherein the steam is propelled out through thehead assembly via the one or more the steam channels.
 2. The steamerapparatus of claim 1, wherein the head assembly further comprises aringed flange; wherein the ringed flange is configured to contact withthe neck extension when the head assembly is inserted into uppersection.